South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is raising the alarm on the Chinese Communist Party’s efforts to infiltrate her state’s agriculture industry, illustrating how China leverages business to spy on America.

Noem posted a clip to X of her Wednesday appearance on Fox News’ Hannity, where she explained to host Sean Hannity why Chinese spies are crossing the southern border, buying up land, and the potential threat to the nation’s food supply.

The Chinese Communist Party sent spies to South Dakota this last summer to try to steal our crop genetics.

Thank God we didn’t fall for it. pic.twitter.com/WPoHikj12b

— Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) March 21, 2024

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“The Chinese Communist Party sent spies to South Dakota last summer to try to steal our crop genetics,” the post read. “Thank God we didn’t fall for it.”

The lifelong farmer and rancher told Hannity over the last three decades she’s “watched China come in and buy up our fertilizer companies. They’ve bought up our crop care companies, like our chemical companies.

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“They’ve stole our genetics, bought up our processing facilities,” Noem said. “Now they’re coming after our land, and when they do that … they will control our food supply. And the country that can’t feed ourselves – we are no longer in control of our destiny.”

Noem contends America is “only three meals away from a crisis” and predicts “people will break down in panic if they can’t put food on the table and there’s nothing at the grocery store to feed their families.”

To illustrate her point, Noem recalled recent contact from the State Department regarding Chinese visitors who had requested tours of agricultural facilities in South Dakota.

“We had spies in South Dakota,” she said. “They were spies that came into our state. They wanted to tour our facilities and steal our genetics, acted like they were good actors, and just days later the State Department called us and said, ‘did you meet with these people because they were spies and they were there to steal all of your information, and your companies’ private information, and if you did meet with them we need to debrief you,’” Noem said.

“And thankfully we had refused all of their meetings, but that’s what they’re doing and it’s from every angle and they’re crossing the southern border on purpose because their government is sending them here to spy on us,” she added.

Noem said she’s “alarmed the American people haven’t woken up to this yet,” citing TikTok’s close relationship with the CCP and its manipulative influence on the American public.

The governor’s comments follow a similar recollection of events from 2022 by South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources head Hunter Roberts during February testimony in favor of legislation to ban foreign people and governments from owning agricultural land in the state, South Dakota Searchlight reports.

Noem signed that legislation into law on March 4.

The Republican governor’s perspective on protecting South Dakota from Chinese spying and influence stands in stark contrast to her counterparts in other states that have courted Chinese companies with piles of taxpayer cash.

In Michigan, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer awarded battery manufacturer Gotion a $715 million incentive package that includes a 30-year tax break worth $540 million, along with $175 million in grants, to construct a $2.36 billion electric vehicle plant in Mecosta County, over the objections of locals.

Congressman John Moolenaar has repeatedly called on the Whitmer administration to pull the plug on the deal, citing national security issues with the company’s ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

“For months, Gotion supporters have argued that one reason Gotion Inc. should be allowed to build in Mecosta County is because part of the company is owned by Volkswagen. Now we know that Volkswagen has helped the CCP carry out the deadly persecution of religious people in China,” he said.

“This news is another example of how CCP-affiliated companies can be coerced into doing the bidding of the CCP and is further evidence of why it would be a mistake to allow Gotion to build a factory in Michigan,” Moolenaar said. “These companies have participated in genocide, and state and local officials should end the Gotion project in Michigan immediately.”

Opposition to the plant is so fierce, voters in Green Charter Township recalled five of the township board’s seven members last November, and two other members resigned. The prior board, which was in favor of the CCP Gotion plant and approved the tax abatement, was replaced by board members who have been more critical of the company’s requests, and have been more thoroughly vetting approvals.

The change prompted Gotion last week to file a federal lawsuit alleging that hindering the battery plant “prevents the realization of the will of the entire state of Michigan, which continues to hold ambitious goals of obtaining 100% carbon neutrality by 2050.”

“We are saddened and disappointed by their decision to proceed in this direction,” Green Charter Township Supervisor Jason Kruse said. “As township supervisor, my number one concern is protecting the interests of the people of Green Charter Township, and we will vigorously defend our township’s position on this matter.

“We may be a small community, but we refuse to be bullied.”